


Castles Crumble

by inkedpenn



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe, District 9 (Hunger Games), Original Character(s), Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-21 04:53:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16570028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkedpenn/pseuds/inkedpenn
Summary: District 9 is the center of grain production, and isn't particularly special in any way- except for being Castle Vitus's home. Why does that matter? It doesn't, at least until he is called as tribute for the annual Hunger Games. In his dire circumstances, can he learn the true meaning of sacrifice?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story uses only the setting of the Games, and minimal characters from the franchise. It is essentially an inverse AU- same universe, different people. Comes before canon, so could be set in the same universe as Katniss, but considering that's in the future, the events of the series won't really appear.

     My room is completely dark. It’s trying to coax me into sleep, but I’m far too anxious for rest tonight. Tonight is the night before the reaping. There’s no way to sleep knowing that in just a few hours, me or my friends could be sent away to what might as well be their execution.

     I eventually give up on my poor excuse for an attempt at sleep. As quietly as I can, so that I don’t wake my mother or father, I open the dusty window looking onto District 9. I climb out onto the roof, watching the silent district like a ghost. Of course, no one has lights on, but a few people who are as anxious as me have candles lit, the flickering light shining through their windows. In some houses you can even see shadowy silhouettes along the walls. Parents worrying for their children, siblings worried for each other, and the people worrying about either everyone but themselves or no one but themselves.

     I worry about everyone except myself. There’s almost no one who has their names entered as few times as I do, at only 7. I worry about my friends. Most of them are entered about 30 times, which is typical for the people here. But Cable, he must be entered somewhere around 40 or 50 times. And I’ve already lost too many friends to the reaping. I don’t know if I can lose anymore. If I lose anyone else… I’d volunteer. I’d gone over the scenario thousands of times in my head. Those simple two words, “I volunteer.”

     Those two words I couldn’t say just two years ago. I question myself again, why I couldn’t say two words to save my best friend. Well, I’m sure I can say them now. Now that I know the consequences.

     I snap out of my thoughts as I realize that I’m shivering. I didn’t think to bring a jacket, but the nights here can be bitterly cold. I think about going back inside, but decide against it. At least the cold is a distraction from my thoughts, and by now I can see the streaks of light pink and orange appearing in the sky, as the sun starts to rise.

     I keep watching it rise, transfixed. The pinks turn into reds, and the previously soft oranges turn harsh and bright. Once it’s fully above the horizon, I quietly slip back inside and shut the window. I know that my father will be awake by now, and he’s probably downstairs cooking a small breakfast of some eggs and toast. Even now, I can already smell the eggs frying. I get changed into my best clothes; my least-ripped jeans, leather boots, a blue flannel shirt, and a leather jacket, still remembering the cold from the night. I head downstairs, the smell of the eggs becoming irresistible.

     My father has set aside a plate for me already. He’s finished his, with his dish in the sink and rinsed.

“I’m going to go out in the field ‘til it starts,” he says.

“Do you need help with anything?”

“No, you should try to relax before the ceremony.” I would almost rather take whatever work there is. I hate the idea of pacing around the house for the next few hours with nothing to do.

“Is mom going to be here?”

“No, she’s going to go out to the market and see if she can trade for anything special for dinner tonight.” Great. Nothing to do and alone with my thoughts.

     After sitting on my couch and fidgeting for about half an hour, I decide that I can’t continue this torture. I head out into the small meadow just outside of the more urban area. Hardly anyone goes there, just me and Cable. I guess they’re all too busy. We meet there all the time, just walking around or picking flowers, or sitting in the grass and talking for hours.

     In less than an hour, I am treated to the sight of Cable’s steady gait towards the meadow. He’s taller than me, with ash blond hair and deep grey eyes, the typical look for District 9. He always looks tired, and he’s about as thin as a skeleton, but he’s also always got a lopsided grin that comes easily whenever he’s around the people he loves.

     That grin comes out when he sees me sitting on the patch of beaten down grass that we’ve claimed as our own. He practically falls down next to me.

“Well, for once you dressed up. And you don’t look any better,” I say, trying for playful. He giggles.

“I need to look better, if all of Panem is gonna see me today.”

“Don’t talk like that,” all of the humor sucked from the moment. He bows his head.

“You know the odds aren’t exactly in my favor. You know how many times I’m in today? 43. I don’t stand a chance.”

“If you get called, I’ll volunteer.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“You know I will.” He sighs in exasperation.

“Just promise, if I get reaped today, that you’ll take care of my family? Link can’t get tesserae for another three months, and I don’t know if we can last that long,” his voice lowering until it’s barely above a whisper.

“I promise.”

     We sit in silence for a long time, only breaking it to say goodbye, when there’s little more than an hour before the ceremony begins. The walk back home is lonely and long and my anxiety gets worse with every step. By the time I reach home, my heart is nearly beating out of my chest, but my parents are waiting for me by the door. It’s time to go.


	2. Chapter 2

     Within a few minutes, I’m in the town square. I almost don’t recognize it, it’s so clean and bright, and completely packed with possible tributes. I spot Cable through the crowd, and go to stand next to him.

     Although he was joking around earlier, he certainly isn’t laughing now. All of the blood has drained from his face, leaving him as white as a ghost. He grabs my hand in a vice-like grip, but he doesn’t say anything. As the ceremony starts, I tell him that it’ll all be okay, but it doesn’t seem to help.

     It all starts with the mayor, Barrett Abell, introducing our district’s escort from Panem. Her name is Pandora Mae, and she’s a tall, angular woman with pure white hair and pale blue eyes. She’s intimidating, but in all honesty, kind of hot; or would be, if she had a little less makeup. But that’s the Capitol for you.

     She starts off with an apology and an excuse for our mentor not being here, then continues with a history of Panem. It’s really just a formality at this point, because everyone already knows, and nobody cares. Besides, everyone is focused on what will happen after she finishes with the history, the real reason that we’re all here. It’s the reason that, just as I finally begin to pay some attention to the pre-written speech, Cable whispers in my ear, “Oh God, I really am gonna die.”

“I won’t let you,” I whisper back. I glance over at him, and I can see the terror written plain as day across his face. But it’s not    like there’s anything I can do to help him, or ease his fears. The odds really aren’t in his favor today. Not that they’re in his favor on any other day, but I wish that there was something I could say to make it better. Maybe just the words, “I volunteer.”    I hope it doesn’t come to that.

     Finally, the history lesson ends. Now that it’s over, I already wish that it wasn’t. Fortunately, they choose the girl tribute first. It actually may be unfortunate; by now I just want to get this over with. At least Pandora isn’t like the other Capitol citizens, making it into a fun event. She briskly states, “May the odds be ever in your favor,” then picks a name out of the bowl.

“Alexis Morana.” A girl walks forward. I remember her from school; she’s short, but she’s the fastest person my age. She’s strong too, and I can see how muscular she is even when she’s on the stage. She has dark blue eyes and ash blond hair in two braids down past her shoulders. She doesn’t let whatever emotions she’s feeling show, but I can tell that she’s scared because she’s shaking, although she tries to hide it.

     Pandora walks over to the bowl full of boy’s names. I wasn’t sure that it was possible, but Cable starts to squeeze my hand even tighter than before. By now it's pretty much gone numb, but if it make him feel better…  
     She reaches in, and it feels like an eternity before she finally reads the name.

  
“Castle Vitus.”


	3. Chapter 3

     Maybe the gravity of the situation hasn't set in yet, because when Pandora calls my name, I don't feel anything. Well, that's not all true; I feel Cable letting go of my hand. I miss the warmth, and I realize that today has actually been kind of cold. Maybe I should have worn a jacket.

     I also realize that I'm supposed to be going up to the stage now, because everyone in front of me has cleared out a path. I walk forward, but I'm immediately stopped by Cable, who's grabbing my arm to hold me back. As soon as he does this, there are about five peacekeepers dragging him off of me. I keep walking forward.

     From the stage, I can see everyone in the crowd. I see my parents in the back. I've never seen my dad cry before, but I guess there's a first time for everything. I also see Alexis' parents crying, but it seems fairly tame given that their child is probably about to die.

     About to die.

     I am probably _about to die._

     As soon as I come to this realization, the ceremony ends, and suddenly I'm being escorted to a back room in the District 9's Justice Building. I don't know how long I stay motionless on the musty couch in the back of the room, but eventually I hear a knock on the door. I rush to open it and I come face-to-face with my parents.

     My mom makes a sound somewhere between sobbing and choking, and then she hugs me. Once she finally pulls away from me, my dad hugs me too. Although his cheeks are dry now, his eyes are still red and puffy.

     It seems like none of us know what to say, because we sit in silence for a long time. At some point, my dad speaks up.

"Castle, you're strong. And you're smart, you can strategize, and..." I think we both know how useless it sounds, we both know my chances of winning the games. "Just, please... don't give up, I don't think I could-"

"I won't. I promise. I'll keep fighting to the end." This makes my mom cry harder, and I think maybe that was the wrong thing to say, but my dad just looks proud, so I don't say anything else.

     After another long silence, more peacekeepers come to take my parents back. They hug me one last time, and I realize that I probably won't ever see them again.

"I love you."

"We love you too."

  
     And then they're gone.

 

     There's another long wait, but it still isn't too long before there's another knock. I barely have the door halfway open when Cable is throwing himself into my arms. I can feel my shirt getting damp as he buries his face in my shoulder.

"No... I should have volunteered, Castle, it should have been me, no, Castle, you can't go, you just can't," he sobs. I stroke my fingers through his hair, hoping to calm him down a bit.

"Shh...it's okay, it's okay..." He looks up at me, right into my eyes, and suddenly I'm terrified of losing him. I'm terrified of us losing each other.

"Promise me," his voice cracks, "that you'll win." I think of what I promised my dad, but there's a difference between trying and actually winning.

"I promise." The words sound hollow, betraying my facade of certainty. He's hugging me like we won't ever see each other again, and we probably won't. But then the peacekeepers are back, taking him away again. I feel tears blurring my vision, but I quickly blink them back.

     This time, instead of shutting me back in the room, the peacekeepers are taking me somewhere. We walk for a long time, until we finally get to the train station. I've been here a few times, to help ship our farm's produce to the other districts, but I've never ridden one. I'm shoved onto the train, and even though the outside is nice, I never could have guessed the decadence of the inside.

     Everything is either golden or glass. I can barely believe that it's real. As I look around, I see a table with all different types of food on it, in colors and shapes that I've never even seen before.

"Whoa." I hear someone snickering behind me, and I turn around to see Pandora, sitting in the next room. Just as my eyes meet hers, she resumes her perfectly emotionless face, and I wonder whether her laugh was just my imagination. She motions me over to a seat across from her. It's much plusher than anything in my house, and I sink into it almost half a foot.

     Right as I sit, she looks back up at the door, and I turn around to see Alexis. Her cheeks are wet, but her eyes are assteely as ever. She comes and sits next to me without any prompt by Pandora.

"I'm sorry that Cassia isn't her to meet you, but she's a little... indisposed, right now."

"Who is she, why should I care, and why is she 'indisposed'?" Although Alexis phrases it like a question, her tone makes it sound like a statement. A statement that Cassia doesn't have a choice but to answer.

"She was the victor of the 48th Hunger Games, she will be your mentor, and as for her absence-"  
"What absence?" I hear a rough voice from behind me. I turn around (again) to see the woman that must be Cassia. She has dark green eyes with deep, dark circles under them, and dark rust-colored hair tied up in a messy ponytail. She looks unkempt, to say the least; she appears as though she hasn't showered in longer than I want to think about, and she's got a thin trail of blood coming from a bruise on the inside of her elbow. Pandora wipes the blood off, but then they begin to argue, but they're whispering so I can't hear what they're saying from the other side of the room. Pandora comes and sits back down across from me, and Cassia begrudgingly follows, though first she pauses to light a cigarette.

"Alright, so what'd I miss?"

"Well, this is Alexis," she points to the small girl next to me, who glares at Cassia, "and this is Castle." I nod at her.

"I guess they aren't the worst I've seen."

"Okay, that's not too bad, we can-"

"Even the best ones have all died." There's a certain finality in that, and no one says anything. Pandora seems vaguely annoyed, Alexis seems angry, and I have no idea what I seem like. Mostly I'm just tired; I've had a long day. There isn't much going on, (aside from Cassia blowing smoke in Pandora's general direction) so I ask Pandora if there's somewhere that I can sleep. She seems relieved to leave Cassia, and she shows me to another room.

      It's as decadent as the first room, but instead of gold, everything is silver. Pandora tells me that I'm welcome to take whatever clothes are in the dresser by the bed. I take a quick shower, then pick out the first soft clothes in the drawers. I get into the bed, and it's as soft as the chairs; it almost feels like I'm melting into it. I want to get right to sleep, because I'm tired and I really don't want to think about the events of today. By the time my head hits the pillow I'm asleep, and I thank god that I don't have any dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

     When I wake up, we’re pretty much already in the Capitol. I quickly get dressed into another pair of skintight jeans and a green V-neck. I look out the window, seeing crowds of colorful people waving back at me. I spend a few minutes idly waving back at them, then head out to find everyone else.

     It doesn’t take long, as everyone is basically right where I left them last night. The table of food is still there, but now everything has been replaced with breakfast foods; or, at least what the Capitol considers regular breakfast food. I take the first thing I recognize, a biscuit. For the second time in two days, I hear Pandora snickering behind me.

“What?”

“A huge selection of foods, and you choose a biscuit?”

“It’s familiar,” I shrug. She rolls her eyes. I guess everything here is familiar to her.

“We’re going to arrive in five minutes. Once we get there, you’re going to meet your stylists and they’ll get you cleaned up. Tonight’s your first opportunity to show off to possible sponsors, so be on your best behavior.”

“What’s tonight?”

“The tribute parade. And don’t forget, you’re not just showing off yourselves, you’re showing off for all of District 9.” I don’t think that the people of District 9 really give a damn what the Capitol thinks of them at this point. At most, they’re hoping that we don’t die within the first hour. But I think of Cable, and my promise. Whatever the Capitol wants me to do, I’ll do it: for him.

     The train comes to a surprisingly smooth halt. All of us walk to the door, which opens automatically. The peacekeepers have already cleared a path for us to walk through. It's deafeningly loud, thousands of people on either side screaming at us, and trying to touch us. We're only from District 9; I can hardly imagine what it must be like for the District 1 tributes. The peacekeepers rush us into the tallest building I've ever seen. The side that's facing us is solid glass, reflecting the sky in a twisted mirror. When we get inside, we're rushed to an elevator. Pandora hits a few buttons, and we start going down.

     When the doors open, me and Alexis are immediately separated. Three people come and guide me down a long, dark hallway. They're all very talkative, and they tell me that their names are Lucia, Avita, and Marius. They tell me that I'll meet Cicero after they get me cleaned up; I assume that he's my head stylist. They also tell me all sorts of meaningless things about the Capitol, like what's in fashion and the latest gossip. I don't know what they're talking about, and I don't really care, but I guess I appreciate their company.

     Then they start washing me with some sort of exfoliating foam, and it's one of the most bizarre things I've ever experienced. It feels rough even though it looks soft, and it changes color the longer they leave it on me. Once it turns a bright purple color, they rinse it off and tell me that Cicero will be here in just a minute.

     It's far longer than a minute, but I have no way of telling exactly how long I wait. Eventually, someone new walks in, and it must be him. He's tall and unkempt, but also sort of beautiful in a strange, colorful way. His hair is in a mohawk, and it's bright red, matching his clothes and eyeliner. His eyes, however, are dark enough to appear black.

"Hello," I say, hoping to break the ice. He only continues to look me over, and I might as well have not said anything.

"Hmm." He circles me, like a shark sizing up it's prey.

     This continues for a few minutes, until he suddenly leaves. I'm not sure what to do, and I'm about to find someone to ask when Cicero walks back in. This time, he's holding a pile of clothes. He smiles and hands them over to me.

"Sorry about that, I just hate working and talking at the same time. I'm Cicero." He gives me a firm, warm handshake, but it's not just his hands that are warm; it extends up to his eyes, which had previously just been calculating. I wonder how he can switch it on and off so easily.

"Alright, well, I'll let you get changed. I hope you'll find it comfortable, or at least, comforting."

     He leaves, giving me a wink as he closes the door. I get into the clothes he gave me; a sky-blue v-neck that goes slightly lower than I'm totally comfortable with, black leather suspenders and boots, with laces the same color as my shirt, and jet-black, ripped jeans that are tight enough that I'm pretty sure they're going to melt into my skin. As uncomfortable as it may be, everything is perfectly formfitting. Even though I'd never wear it at the farm, Cicero is right, and it reminds me of home.

     As soon as I'm dressed, he comes back in, and I briefly wonder how he timed that so perfectly, but then more people are coming in and I don't have time to ponder it further. They put stuff in my hair and on my face, and it tickles. I try as hard as I can not to twitch, but given the complaints of the prep team I'm not doing a very good job. At least it doesn't take long, and in just a few minutes they're putting on the finishing touches and Cicero tells me to follow him.

     He takes me into a room with a full length mirror. I almost don't recognize myself; I've never looked this good before. District 9 usually gets stuck with the goody-two shoes farm boy image (to be fair I usually fit this pretty well) but I think Cicero wants to change that. Whatever makeup they've put on my face has highlighted my natural tan, and they added deep black makeup to highlight my eyes. They also added two black warrior stripes across my right cheek. My hair has been gelled so that it spikes down, almost covering my eyes. And the clothes are perfect; they outline every inch of my muscled body.

"Whoa," I can't help but vocalize my amazement, causing Cicero to laugh.

"I'm gonna take that as a good thing."

"Yeah, it's...wow." He looks awfully smug at this, but honestly he should be. It occurs to me that there's a good chance of my attracting a few women as sponsors, and I realize that this outfit might literally save my life. I'm temped to hug him, but I haven't even known him for a day. I could at least buy him dinner first, I figure.

     Lucia comes back, and after fawning over me for a minute, she leads me back to the elevator. Alexis is already there, waiting for me. She's wearing basically the same thing as me, but a pleated skirt instead of jeans. She's also only got one stripe on her cheek, and her hair is in a neat, high ponytail. Lucia presses a few of the elevator's buttons, and this time we're going up. We're still underground when the doors open, and Lucia takes us through what must be thousands of corridors and around thousands of corners. Finally, we get to a large open area, with 12 sets of chariots and horses. Lucia shows us to the chariot for District 9, then says goodbye. The chariot is black, with grain painted in gold all along the sides.

     For the first time, I get a chance to see all of the other tributes. Of course, they're all about what I expected; from Districts 1 through 5, everyone is at least twice my size, even the girls. The other tributes look like they're all around 20 to 30 pounds underweight, and terrified. I guess my odds could be worse. I'm busy sizing everyone else up, when someone catches my eye.


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing I notice about him is his eyes. They're like a cat's; sharp and intelligent, and such a light foam green that they almost glow. They're neatly framed by long, dark eyelashes.

 He must be from District 4, with his tanned skin and defined abs. Also, the fact that his clothes consist of just the bottom half of a wetsuit kind of gives it away. I thought my clothes were tight, but his really leave nothing to the imagination. Not that I see a problem with that as I look over his lean body.

     I try to look away before he catches me staring, but I know I'm too late when he starts walking towards me. I look around to find Alexis, trying to make this just a little less awkward, but she's nowhere to be found. Figures. As I try to find her, I feel someone tap my shoulder. 

It's the guy from District 4. I extend my hand and he gives it a firm shake.

"Hello."

"Hi." His eyes are even more stunning up close, a gorgeous swirl of green, blue, and yellow.

"Where are you from? District 9?" He says, as his eyes scan my clothing.

"Yeah, and you're...?"

"District 4," he laughs, "I know the costume is kinda obvious. At least this year we aren't mermaids." He rolls his eyes. 

     I notice a faint buzzing sound as he's talking, like how it sounds before the reaping, or before a District gathering.

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"Listen." He goes quiet for a second, and then I see him realize something.

"Oh, you mean the crowd."

"The crowd?"

"That sound, it's just all the people not-so-patiently waiting for us. I think technically there's only supposed to be about 90,000 people, but they always find a way to squeeze in a few extra."

"Holy shit." He laughs again, and this time I actually listen to it. It's really more like a chuckle, and it's deep and soft. I hope that I get to hear it again.

"I'm Castle," I say, realizing I haven't properly introduced myself yet, "and you?"

"I'm Riptide." He opens his mouth to say something else, but then there are peacekeepers forcing us back to our own chariots. Riptide waves goodbye, and then he's gone. As I get into the chariot, Alexis is already there.

"Where have you been?"

"Places." Great. I've always loved that cheerful personality.

     In almost no time, we're following behind District 8. Obviously, in past years, I've seen the crowd on TV, but nothing can compare to the real thing. There must be at least a hundred thousand people here. It's like looking at a giant, mixed-up rainbow. I'll never understand Capitol fashion, but I have to admit it looks pretty cool when everyone's all bunched together. 

I have a great time, smiling and waving, and I even think I see a few girls faint as I wink at them. But when I look over at Alexis' solemn face, I remember why I'm here. It spoils the mood a little bit.

We come to a stop in front of President Snow's mansion. If it's even possible, the crowd gets louder, but Snow raises one hand and suddenly it's dead silent. He begins his speech, but I'm distracted by the screens next to him. They're projecting the tributes from each district, starting with 12 and working their way down. When it gets to 9 I put on my most charming smile, and I swear I hear some women gasp.

     I'm finally about to pay some attention to Snow when it cuts to Riptide. He's focused on the speech, but gives a brief grin when he sees that he's on the screens. I hear at least a few hundred girls (and quite a few guys) proclaim their love to him. 

     Once the speech is over, the ceremony is basically done. The chariots are bringing us back to the large room where we started, and Pandora is taking us to our rooms in the training center.

We may not have the penthouse, but the ninth floor still gives us a fantastic view. Pandora insists that we must be starving (like she knows what starving is) and has everyone sit down for dinner, even Cassia. The table is placed next to floor to ceiling windows, giving us a display of the whole Capitol while we eat. Although it's night, there are no stars; the light from thousands of buildings makes it seem like it's still daytime.

A group of Avox with sad eyes bring us our food. I don't think I've ever seen this much on one plate before. None of it looks like anything I've had before. I try the first thing that catches my eye, some fruit that's bright pink on the outside, but solid white on the inside. It's surprisingly bland, yet also sweet. I keep eating that as Pandora starts to talk.

"Castle, the women all love you. Good job," she turns to Alexis and frowns. "Maybe try to show literally any emotion. It might make you seem human." This just seems to piss Alexis off.

"What does it even matter? It's not like I'm gonna win. I don't really plan on being some form of sick entertainment for the Capitol in the meantime." She gets up and goes to her room. I notice that she takes her plate with her. Pandora seems vaguely offended.

"Such bad manners."

"She's going into a death match in a few days. I don't think manners are her top priority right now," Cassia says, and I think it's as subtle as she's capable of being.

"Well, they've certainly never been your top priority." Cassia practically snorts.

"Very observant, you are." She reaches for some sort of bubbly, hot pink drink on the table, but Pandora pushes it away. 

"You've got interviews tomorrow, not a chance." Cassia rolls her eyes.

"Whatever. See you tomorrow." She also gets up and leaves, following Alexis' example. Pandora watches her until she's in her room and the door is closed. Then she turns back to me.

"You haven't eaten very much, Castle."

"I'm not that hungry." Maybe it's the nerves.

"In that case, you should go to bed. You've got training tomorrow."

"Then, uh, goodnight, I guess." She simply nods in response, as I get up and find my room.

     Like everything the Capitol does, it's incredibly extravagant. Silk sheets and fluffy pillows lay on the bed, and the whole room has a dark gray theme. Like the dinning room, it also has floor to ceiling windows covering one wall. I can hear the dull hum of the Capitol, even from here, and it's strangely comforting. 

The sound reminds me of how far I am from home, where it's always silent. It's only been a day, but it feels like I've been away for years. I think of my parents, and of Cable, and I feel tears forming. I try to hold them back, but they come anyway. I wipe them away, and take a long, hot shower; it's just another thing that we don't have in District 9.

I sit in bed for a while, listening to the sounds of the Capitol. Eventually, I fall into another dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

I wake up to a shill beeping sound. I look towards it, and find an alarm clock reading 8:00, flashing in time with the beeping. I whack it once, and it stops. Thank god.

As I sit up, the door swings open, and Pandora rushes in. She comes and sits next to me on the bed, and I’m pretty excited about where this is headed, until she hands me a pile of clothes and gets up.

“These are your training clothes. Get changed, and meet back in the dining room for breakfast.”

The clothes are just a plain t-shirt and leggings, all black except for the yellow nine sewn onto the right shoulder. Everything for District 9 is in yellow, probably because of the grain. I’m sure some Capitol people thought they were being very clever with that.

I get to the table, and once again I’m the last one there. Cassia already has some bright orange drink, which Pandora looks at disapprovingly. I grab some toast and an apple, and sit down across from Cassia.

“Good morning.” Alexis barely even looks up at me before she replies, “Nothing good about it.”

“Well it’s one more day that I’m not trying to murder other kids, so it’s good to me,” I snap back at her. She looks genuinely surprised, but really at this point I’m sick of her whole ‘everything could not possibly be worse’ attitude. I mean, she’s kind of right, but that doesn’t make it less annoying. Cassia smirks at me, and I think she was getting fed up with it too.

“Well, moving on, you’ve got a big day today. First day of training is important, because it could determine your potential allies, or your enemies. I suggest you think hard about how you want to present yourself to the other tributes.” Cassia starts laughing, and it takes at least five minutes before she can collect herself.

“What?”

“You said _allies_.”

“How is that funny?”

“No one wants to team up with District 9. My advice would be to not show off. It’s just gonna give away your only possible advantages.”

I try to think of any skills I could have that would be even remotely useful, and I draw a blank. Farming isn’t really known for being too murderous. I guess I’m probably stronger than some of the tributes, especially from the higher districts, but it’s not enough to be really helpful. I’m pretty small, so I guess I can hide well, but that’s not great either.

“Anyway, it’s basically time for you two to head down. Good luck,” Pandora says, though she seems more concerned with taking away Cassia’s drink.

Alexis and I take the elevator down to the ground level, where we are greeted by Lucia and someone else that Alexis seems to recognize. They take us through the building, and I wonder how it can possibly have this many hallways.

Eventually, we get to the training center. A few tributes are already here, but it's still pretty early. They have a bunch of different areas set up, each with different skills. Most are for fighting; like using a bow or a spear. I’m tempted to learn to use a knife, but since there’s already a group of careers there, I head over towards the survival skills area. Alexis goes off to the close combat section.

The first thing I learn, or, more accurately, attempt to learn, is how to build a fire. I’m not very good at it, but after an hour or two of practice I’m confident that I can do it. Once I master that, I head over to the wildlife section.

I'm surprised that there's so little about hunting, but I guess we get enough of that learning how to fight. Mostly the station is just about figuring out if plants are poisonous. I'm surprised again, because I actually know what they're talking about; my mom used to teach me about picking edible plants from the wild fields around our house.

As I'm finishing up with that, I feel someone tap my shoulder. It's Riptide. The training clothes may not be as revealing as his costume last night, but they still stick to every inch of his body, and I wonder if he ever wears loose clothing. I assume that he's been to one of the fighting stations, because sweat is making his dark hair lay flat against his forehead.

"I can teach you how to use a spear if you show me how to tell those plants apart."

"Oh- sure, if you're okay with that trade," I stutter. He smirks.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't," he pauses, "I can show you the spear first." He walks away without waiting for a response. I follow him.

I have to take about twice as many steps as he does, accounting for the height difference, but I catch up to him before we get to the station. Fortunately, everyone else has pretty much cleared out and it's empty.

It's larger than most of the other stations, with the room spanning about 30 feet. On one side is the targets, and on the other side is a table full of different types of spears. Riptide picks up a particularly long one, made of some kind of dark metal, and tosses it around like it's as light as a feather. He throws it at one of the targets, and it goes straight through the center. He looks over at me and smiles.

"Good?"

"Yeah," I nod. He goes to the other end of the room to rip the spear out of the target. He comes back and hands it over to me. It's heavier than I expected, probably about ten pounds.

"Try throwing it." I'm a little skeptical, which must show because Riptide looks like he's trying to hide his laughter, and failing.

I throw it as hard as I can; it gets about halfway downrange and clatters to the ground. It's not even centered. Riptide can't contain his laughter anymore, and he practically falls over, he laughs so hard. Once he's done, he gets the spear for me.

"Alright, just- I don't really know where to start," he says, "try aiming... higher?" The confidence he has in me is astounding.

I throw it again, higher, and this time I get a little closer. However, a little closer is still about ten feet away from the target. Riptide gets the spear again, and I'm pretty sure he takes extra long bending over to pick it up just to taunt me.

"One more time, I wanna see something." Once again, I attempt to throw it, except this time I see Riptide watching me as I throw. His eyes on me make me nervous, and I do just as badly as the first time.

Riptide fetches the spear for a third time.

"Here, I think you're just too tense. It's throwing off your follow through." I pick the spear up to throw it, but this time Riptide stops me.

"Let me show you." He puts his hands on my shoulders, moving them slightly. His hands are warmer than I expected. Then he puts his hands on my hips.

"Whoa there-"

"It's easier than trying to explain how you're supposed to move." He rotates me so that I'm perpendicular to the target. I can feel myself blushing, and I hope he doesn't notice. If he does, at least he doesn't say anything.

"Widen your stance." I do as he says.

"Ok, now when you throw it, twist you body so that you get the extra momentum."

I throw it again, but this time the result is much different. It hits the target, and actually sticks. It may not be in the center, or even that close to the center, but at least it's there. Riptide claps.

"Hey, you've got potential," he laughs.

"Sure, I hit the target once every three shots, that's pretty good, right?"

"With a little practice you'll be hitting it every time. You might even get it in the center once or twice," he teases.

I practice with that for a few more hours, and by then I'm at least hitting close to center every time. I'm satisfied with that, so we finally go back to the survival skills sector. There's still no one else there.

"Okay, so...plants." Honestly, I don't know where to begin. I just know the stuff because I recognize it, and I immediately begin to feel bad about this trade being so unfair.

"This might, uh, be a little rough. Sorry," I mumble. He remains silent, but I can see him carefully watching me.

"I guess, start with the basics. The first uh, rule, I guess, is don't eat anything if you aren't completely sure what it is. A lot of plants have like, dark versions. Like, for most edible plants, there's a poisonous one that looks just like it."

"Makes sense."

"Yeah, so there's that. Also, if you see a plant where an animal has eaten some of it, it's probably safe, but still only as a last resort," I continue, "don't eat mushrooms. Just don't. Pretty much all of them are poisonous." Riptide nods. "Don't eat anything that's got yellow, red, or white berries."

"So, basically don't eat anything."

"Well, that is the safest thing, yeah."

"Oh c'mon, gimme some tips for what I can eat."

"Alright, alright. There's a test you can use. You have to rub part of the plant on your skin, wait a few hours, and if nothing happens then eat a small portion of the plant. If nothing happens a few hours after that, then it's probably edible."

"Probably?"

"Yeah, it can take awhile for the effects to appear, so sometimes it'll seem like you're fine, only for you to drop dead a few days later. But most of the time, if you can find a plant that doesn't have berries, white sap, or three leaves, it'll be fine."

"Very reassuring advice."

"I try."

We spend the next few hours going over examples of edible plants, at least the ones that I can recognize. It's entirely possible that none of this will be helpful to either of us; it all depends on what kind of arena the game makers choose for us. I live pretty far north in Panem, so if there's any sort of tropical environment we're screwed, but I figure, it's betterthan nothing. At least the tests are pretty universal.

By the time we both feel pretty solid on which plants are edible, it's time for dinner, which we have to eat with our districts. Riptide waves goodbye.

"I'll talk to you later, I guess."

"Yeah, uh, later."

I meet Alexis in the elevator. She's as silent as ever, but after talking to Riptide all day, I'm too exhausted to have a conversation anyway. Pandora meets us as soon as the doors open.

"Well I'm sure you two are tired. Dinner's already out; Cassia and I ate earlier."

Me and Alexis find a table full of what must be the most expensive food that we've seen so far. I take a bowl full of some stew, and I've never tasted anything so hearty and delicious. I take a few extra bowls of that, and finish it off within a few minutes. By the time I get up, Alexis is still staring at an empty plate.

I take a long, hot shower, and get into bed. There's five more days of training, then we get scored for potential sponsors. After that, the games begin.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the week is pretty dull. I try to focus on getting survival skills rather than learning to fight, but I can't resist at least learning to use a knife. I figure, at least a knife can be useful outside of combat, and I already have some training with a spear thanks to Riptide.

Speaking of which, I haven't seen him at all since the first day. I guess he must have much different priorities than I do; after all, he is from one of the career districts.

     In all honesty, I can't imagine that the training will be that helpful once I'm actually in the arena. Everyone who knows how to properly fight learned it long before now, and anyone who doesn't isn't really even in the running.

     At least when I die, maybe it won't be of starvation. I might as well try to make it interesting for the Capitol; let one of the careers brutally murder me. If nothing else, it'll be over faster.

     Not that I'm trying to die. I made my promises back home to give it my all, and I plan on being true to my word. To that end, I try to learn some self-defense, though it won't be much help unless I get into a fistfight, which is unlikely given the copious weapons the Capitol is sure to supply.

     The more time I spend with Alexis, the more time I feel like I might get into that fight before the games even begin. We both know we're less than a week away from certain death, but our approaches could not be more different. Even if it's useless, I committed to try to do my best, to try to win. I've been training, working hard, for any extra time or advantage it might give me. Alexis, on the other hand, has given up completely. 

     I think maybe I shouldn't be as hard on her, but I can't help but to see her as cowardly. She's just laying down and waiting to die; she might as well just step off her platform early, for all the difference it'll make. Doesn't she have anyone at home, anyone that would care? I think back to our days together in school, and I vaguely recall a younger sister of hers. How could she let her sister watch her give up so easily?

     The thought of her sister only reminds me of the people in 9 that I had to leave behind. I think of my mother, who is probably at home, hopelessly watching the TV for any news about me. Waiting for any sign, any sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, I could be the lucky victor. I think of my father, who is probably busying himself with the farm work, desperately trying anything to not think about me not coming home. Lastly, I think of Cable.

     Cable, my friend, who I would have done anything for. I could almost laugh at it, at how ready I had been to volunteer for him, when it was never needed anyway. How I ended up here without needing to volunteer. I think of how Cable had few friends aside from me, and now we will be without each other forever. 

     Maybe, I think, I am not the one people should feel sorry for. At least for me, it'll be over relatively quickly. After that, I don't have to worry about... well, anything really. But everybody else? They still have to live, which really might be the more painful outcome here. Cable doesn't get the reprieve of death, not soon at least. 

     I'm startled out of my thoughts by Pandora loudly throwing the door to my room open. We've already eaten, so I'm lost as to why she would be here. Before I can get any hopeful ideas, she speaks.

"Cassia wants to have a meeting with you, to discuss your strategy for the scoring session. For once, I think she's had a good idea," she says, sighing.

"Uh, when?" I ask, not that it makes a difference. Not like I have a whole lot else to be doing.

"Now," she states briskly, keeping the door open when she leaves.

Annoyed, I get up. My "strategy" is to not make a fool of myself. There's really not a whole lot to expand on that; it's not like I haveslew of skills to choose from to show off. The best I can do would be to not utterly fail. I don't need a low score to help me out.

I roll my eyes when I realize that Alexis is also part of this impromptu meeting. I'm sure it'll be an easy job getting her to play ball for the sponsors.

Cassia sips on yet another vibrant drink, and I can't help wonder how much help she could possibly be. I don't think I've ever seen her completely sober, and she isn't exactly the most pleasant person to be around. I find it hard to imagine her sucking up to sponsors for our benefit. And she hasn't exactly been bursting with advice while we've been here. On the bright side, at least she hasn't completely lost her marbles, like a few of the other victors have. It's not a common occurrence, but it isn't exactly... rare. It's a stunning review; "she isn't completely nuts! Hooray for us!"

I relax back into the couch, grabbing some colorful fruit from the coffee table. I would think Alexis is glaring at me, but I'm pretty sure that's just her natural look by now. I guess my mom was right, warning that my face would end up stuck if I frowned too much.

"So. Strategy," Cassia pauses. I can't tell if she's waiting for some sort of response to that, but she sure as hell isn't getting one, so she continues. "The best thing is to show off some skill that you know nobody else has, set yourself apart. Any ideas what that would be for you two?"

Silence. Cassia sighs, disappointed but not at all surprised. She's by no means old, but she's mentored long enough to know the pattern. District 9 has no combat skills, certainly nothing that other districts wouldn't know as well.

"What did you do for yours?" Alexis asks quietly. Both of us were too young to understand the games when Cassia had won, and reruns weren't exactly the top request, in my house at least. I don't really know anything about Cassia's games, and certainly nothing as trivial as her training score.

"I had good arms, you both probably do as well. Working in the fields will do that. I put 'em to use with a knife and a broadsword. But I had the advantage of knowing that the kids from 7 were weak that year; usually they do just as good, if not better than us, with an axe. You guys don't have that leg up." Alexis clenches her jaw, frustrated at the unhelpful words. I'm inclined to agree with her for once.

"So not that. What the hell do you want us to do?"

"I don't know, you're supposed to tell me about some incredible secret skill you have, something I could work a miracle with. Capitol knows you'll need one. "

"No, you're supposed to figure out what to do when I don't have anything! This is your fucking job!" I worry for a second that I may have crossed some line by yelling at her, but then I remember that I don't really care. "Why the hell did you even have us talk about this if you have no clue what to do?" Cassia looks tired, pinching the bridge of her nose in a futile attempt to ward off a long-earned headache. When she speaks, it's quiet, trying to calm the mood down a bit.

"Look kid, I'm sorry. It sucks. Of anyone, I should know. But it's not my fault you got reaped. That you grew up in a poor district with no special skills to speak of. That you got unlucky, that the other kids are good this year. Can I be honest with you?"

"I get the feeling we don't have a choice," Alexis growls, staring intently at nothing.

"No, not really. I wish I could tell you some motivational story about beating the odds, about everybody loving the underdog. But I'm not gonna give you false hope. I got lucky, winning. Extremely lucky. But you guys? You'll probably not make it past the first few days."

"So why, again, are you telling us this?"

"So that maybe you can make peace with it." Cassia desperately trying to avoid eye contact, her head lowered in shame. On a better day, I might try to take pity on her, to give her the benefit of the doubt.

 

But today is not a better day, and my patience is wearing thin.


	8. Chapter 8

My anger at Cassia, at Alexis, at the _situation_ , keeps me awake. I know that I need sleep. I'm going to have enough problems scoring without the extra help of exhaustion. Despite knowing this, the misplaced energy refuses to fade, and I end up fuming for the next several hours.

Eventually I accept that I'm not sleeping anytime soon, so I try to at least put my focus on something useful. I know I have to score well to have a chance; without sponsors I'm a goner. Not that won't be true even with sponsors, but at least it'd be a slight improvement.

     I try to think through all my options. I have no unique skills, so I might as well do something that I'm good at, regardless of it's commonality. However, that still has the stipulation of me actually being _good_ at something. 

What am I good at? Sowing the grain in spring, harvesting in the fall. Repairing old clothes with minimal sewing supplies. Making Cable laugh.

None of these seem like viable options. What am I gonna do, tell a joke?

But maybe, I think, I could go somewhere from the first two. Not sowing, certainly, but harvesting. I think of how Cassia apparently used a sword. A scythe isn't so far off from that, right?

But they probably won't have scythe, and I haven't ever even picked up a sword. I should probably have considered this while I still had training time, but it's a little late for that thought now. I mentally cross that option off my list.

I could show off some survival skills, my plant identification. But that would be boring, at least to my judges, and I know boring doesn't get results, if I've learned one thing from previous games.

I think of what else I've done during training. I think of Riptide. I wasn't all that good with the spear, but I wasn't bad either. And wouldn't that catch their eyes? A 9 tribute, daring to use the traditional 4 spear? Maybe I wouldn't be the best at it, but it would be different at least, it would show some guts.

I decide that, whether it goes well or not, it will get people's attention. So I'll use a spear. I'll use a knife too, show them something I'm good at. It'll be boring in comparison, but I'll be covering my bases.

More confident, or at least less abjectly terrified, I relax a little bit. I don't even realize once I've fallen asleep.

* * *

 

I dream of Cable. Me and Cable, laughing in the meadow. Only then it's not Cable at all, it's Riptide, with a deadly spear and blood coating his hands. Still laughing. Then it isn't even a meadow anymore; it's a graveyard, 22 dead bodies laying around us.

The stench of rotting corpses fills my nose, coats my throat, replaces the air in my lungs. I'm choking, and Riptide is laughing. I raise my hands to cough, but now they're dripping red too.

Then Riptide slits his own throat. I try to reach over, to stop the bleeding, but I can't move. All that blood, bubbling out, and he's _still_ _laughing_ , and I want to run, to close my eyes, but the horror is inescapable.

Riptide falls, finally done laughing, but he isn't Riptide anymore.

It's me.

* * *

 

I wake up to my alarm again. Sweat saturates my sheets, and there are tears on my pillow. I feel the distinct pull of nausea.

     I shake myself awake, and indulge in a long shower. Once I've gotten fully ready and head to breakfast, I can almost convince myself that I'm fine now. Almost being the key phrase, and I'm still too nauseous to eat anything, just the smell of Capitol food making my eyes water. I opt for a glass of water, hoping that in a little bit, I'll be able to convince my gag reflex to chill the hell out. 

"Today of all days, Castle, you need to eat breakfast," Pandora says, taking a seat next to me.

"I'm, um. Not hungry," I half plead, trying not to throw up then and there at the thought of it. Pandora raises a suspicious eyebrow at me, but doesn't press the issue. I'm thankful for the little things in life.

     The TV is on, announcers excitedly discussing the judging, the first real glimpse into how this year's competition will go. I'm grateful for the distraction, and in a few minutes, my stomach has calmed enough for me to get down some safe-looking cereal.

I'm only half paying attention to the TV, until I hear something that stops me in my tracks.

"Well, the scores will be important, no doubt, but the real anticipation is the interviews..." They continue, but I've frozen.

I knew, theoretically, that those were coming, but knowing it logically is different from the reality. I'd been so focused on the scoring, that I'd completely put it out of my mind. I remind myself not to panic. I'm not so bad with crowds, and I can be pretty likable. Well, I think so at least. A self-review isn't exactly the most objective source.

I'm about to ask Pandora for some advice on wining over the Capitol crowd, when Alexis stomps in. Suddenly my nervous energy for my own interview is replaced, when I think of how hers will go. Although I feel a small sense of relief that mine won't be the worst, now I'm just worried about both of us. There's no way that hers could go any way but badly. She's rude, brisk, and angry, none of which will earn her any sponsors. At best she'll be ignored as uninteresting; otherwise she'll be made into the enemy of the Games, the one everyone, in the arena and out, will want dead. I try not to think about the possibility that she'll say something Snow considers dangerous, what would happen to her then. What would happen to her family.

Cassia stalks in behind her. I wonder how she got through the interview, but I imagine that she was probably a very different person back then. I try to imagine her before the Games, coming to a blank. Even if she physically survived the Games, the version of Cassia that existed before them died.

We eat in silence, still feeling the tension from our argument.

A little while later, Pandora tells us that it's time to go down for our scoring. On the TV, the announcers are still speculating about this year's tributes.


	9. Chapter 9

Pandora and Cassia wordlessly walk us to the elevator, where they leave us. It's a short ride down to the bottom, and I hope that isn't symbolic of anything. Most tributes are here already, but we aren't the last. I scan the group that's here, and I see Riptide waiting restlessly next to his district partner. I try to glance away before he sees me looking, but I'm too slow and he catches my eye. He grins and walks toward me.

"Hey Castle," he says, not acknowledging Alexis. To be fair, she seems to be doing her best to look unapproachable, so I can't say I blame him. Given the choice, I would also be ignoring her.

"Hey."

"We still have 15 minutes, wanna take a walk?"

"Sure."

We start walking through the hallways, not far enough to be considered a problem, but out of earshot of the other tributes. I know I should be a little more suspicious, but theres not much he could really do. Besides, everyone saw him leave with me- he'd get caught, no doubt. Not to mention the cameras which are more than likely hidden everywhere in the building. No, I decide, theres no good reason to be nervous.

"So, Castle. You can probably guess I didn't take you here for the scenery," he pauses, maybe for dramatic effect. I'll never understand the careers and their love of theatricality.

"Really? These halls are beautiful this time of year," I deadpan in response. Riptide just rolls his eyes.

"I have a... proposition."

"Care to elaborate on that?" I miss the bluntness of 9. People don't talk around things; if they have something to say, they say it. It might be the one upside of Alexis.

"Well, look. We worked well together in training," I think of how we worked together once. Granted, he's not wrong that we were a good team then, but it's not exactly solid evidence. "We have skillsets that work well together. I know we haven't even gotten our scores yet, so it's a little early, but the sooner the better, I figure."

"Dude. Spit it out."

"Do you want to team up with me? During the Games?" I'm stunned into silence for a moment.

"Riptide, we worked together once, you know that right?" He sighs, as if he was expecting this.

"Look, I know. I spent time with everyone during the week-"

"Oh, and I thought I was special." He laughs, rolling his eyes again.

"Let me finish, you jerk," he playfully punches me on the arm. "I worked with everyone, trying to get a feel for people. Wanted to know where my best chances are. That's why I only saw you once, alright?" I nod, still wary but willing to listen.

"I worked best with you. And we both have skills that the other doesn't. We'd make a good team." I consider this carefully. I know that no one else will try to ally with me, I''m not exactly expecting a 12 score here. And district 4 is good, no doubt; not only that, but Riptide is sure to get lots of screen time, and allying with him could get me some too.

But the deal almost seems too good to be true. I can't help but think that he's just trying to get me to trust him, so he can stab me in the back at the first opportunity. It's not like I'm the only tribute with survival skills, and I can't imagine how he would benefit from the alliance.

There's no way I'll find a better deal with someone else though. And going in alone, I'd be dead by the end of the first day. I may not be able to trust him, but that doesn't mean I can't ally with him, for now at least.

"Okay. Deal." He looks somewhat surprised, especially for someone who proposed the plan in the first place. But the shock is quickly replaced by one of his trademark grins.

"Great. We should head back, almost time to begin." Suddenly I become very aware that there's no clock in here.

"Wait, how do you know?" He lifts his wrist up to me, displaying a simple gold watch.

"My tribute token. They took quite their time making sure there was no funny business with it, but eventually it got through. It was my brother's." He smiles fondly at it, no doubt thinking of his family back home. I'm aware that I don't have any kind of token; it hadn't seemed important at the time. I wonder what I would have brought if I had thought of it.

We walk in what is at first a comfortable silence, but it quickly turns to anxiety as we get closer to the scoring area. I'm surprised that Riptide seems just as tense as me. He should have nothing to worry about. It'll be no surprise when he gets one of the highest scores.

We get to the waiting area just as they call the 1 girl. She smirks and practically bounces in, but I can see that her hands are shaking ever so slightly. Riptide goes and sits next to the girl from his district, and I move back to Alexis.

"What was that about, loverboy?" Alexis' question is seemingly a joke, but it's always hard to tell with her. Something tells me it isn't a joke entirely.

"Oh, shove off Alexis." For the first time, maybe ever, I see Alexis giggle. It seems unnatural coming from her, but it's a nice change. We both return to staring at the wall, waiting.

When it's Riptide's turn, he glances over at me before entering. I mouth a quick "good luck," and he winks. Perhaps his confidence has returned.

     Mine, however, has not. Well, I guess that would be impossible if I never had it in the first place; regardless, I'm as nervous as ever. Slowly, the room begins to empty. I just want to get it over with, and the waiting only serves to wind me up even more. Alexis gives me a pointed look when I start bouncing my leg, raises an eyebrow when I start tapping my fingers. I'm pretty sure she'd take a nap if she was sure she'd wake up in time.

     Eventually, I hear my name called. My stomach drops. Any thoughts that I wanted to get it over with are immediately erased; I'd give pretty much anything to delay this. Steeling myself, I enter the scoring room.


End file.
